Refrigerator.



G. Q. HA'MMBLL. BEFRIGBRATOB.

APPLICATION TILED DBO. 22,1903. 982,056, I Patentd Ja.n.1',7, 1911.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

GEORGE Q. HAMMELL, or DELANco, NEW JERSEY.

'REERIGERATOR To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE Q. HAMMELL,

ya citizen of the United States, residing at full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention khas reference to refrigerators, and more particularly to that type of refrigerator which is arranged to be cooled by being lowered into a well or cistern and to be raised into position within a casing resting upon the floor above the well when access toits contents is desired. The wellcooled refrigeratorsnow manufactured are, however, objectionable in that their casings are bottomless, or in other words, open at their lower ends, by reason of which construction, they are seldom used, since there is a serious danger that any small children playing upon the floor might open the casing door and fall into the well shaft.

It is the object of my invention, therefore, to overcome this defect by providing -the casing with a pair of doors arranged to au tomatically close the lower end of the casing and in consequence, the entrance to theshaft when the refrigerator is in its normal or lowered position, and to be automatically opened by the refrigerator as the latter enters the casing.

The preferred embodiment of the inven tion is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals throughout the several views.

Of the said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view partly in section of the complete invention, the refrigerator proper being shown in lowered position. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the refrigerator in raised position within the casing. Fig. 3 is anr enlarged detail view of the hand wheel showing the dog carried thereby. Fig. 4L is a detail view of the stop carried by the cable. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, illustrating one of the supporting ribs upon which the doors rest in closed position. Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the draw.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 22, 1908.

Serial No. 468,809.

ings, 1 designates, generally, the refrigerator proper, 2 the casing, and 3 the floor above the well shaft'i, the casing resting upon the floor and being secured thereto in any preferred manner.

The refrigerator 1, whose dimensions are such that itcan fit within the interior of the casing when in raised position is arranged to be lowered through the lower end of the casing and through an opening 5 formed in the floor, into the shaft of the well, the top of the refrigerator having set thereinto a hook 6 to which one end of a cable 7 is fastened. The cable is then led upwardly through a hole 8 in the top of the casing and trained over the grooved periphery of a pulley 9 rotatably mounted upon a lateral pin set into the upper portion of a standard 1G mounted upon the casing top. After passing over the pulley, the cable is led downwardly back of the casing through a hole (not shown) in the floor into the well shaft, the end of this portion of the cable having a weight 11 secured thereto, for the purpose of retarding the descent of the refrigerator, the extent of such movement being limited by means of a stop 12, secured to the cable and arranged to engage the floor.

The pulley, which is rotated by means of its handle 13, is provided with a ratchet wheel 14:, arranged to be engaged by a dog 25 pivoted to the upper end of the standard.

rl`he lower end or bottom of the casing is closed, when the refrigerator is in its normal or lowered position, by means of a pair of in" teriorly-located doors 15. These doors are hinged at their inner longitudinal edges to the sides of the casing, and extend toward each other when closed, as shown in Fig. 1,in which position their outer longitudinal edges are in mutual contact and their front ends rest upon ribs 16 secured to the inner face of a horizontal rail 17 secured at its ends to the lower front corners of the casing sides. The outer longitudinal edges of the doors are formed centrally' with mating recesses 18 which unite in forming an opening for the cable when said doors are closed. These doors are arranged to open upwardly and to swing away from each other into vertical position against the sides of the casing during the entrance of the refrigerator into the latter, such movement bein effected by means of a pair of lugs 19 positioned upon the refrigerator top, the lugs being in the form of alining metal straps secured at their Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

outer ends to said top and having their inner ends inclined upwardly antl inwardly toward eaeh other.

The refrigerator is guided directly into the easing during its upward movement by means of a narrow vertical board Q0 which is secured to the inner face of the back wall of the casing and has its lower portion projecting into the well shaft, said guide board fitting slidably between a pair of spaced vertical cleats Q1 secured to the outer face of the back wall of the refrigerator, the longitudinal edges of the guide boards and the inner longitudinal edges of the cleats beingl beveled, to hold the board againstdisengagement from the latter.

The interioil of the refrigerator is divided into separate compartments by means of shelves 22, the compartments being closed by a door 123 hinged to the front edge of one of the side walls. The easing 2 is provided with a similarly located door 21.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the refrigerator, which is presumed to be in the position shown in Fig. 1, may be raised into the interior of the casing by merely rotating the pulley 9 in the proper direction, the engagement of the dog` 1l with the ratchet wheel holding the refrigerator in such position. During the ascent of the refrigerator. the curved upper ends of the lugs 19 will be brought into contact with the under faces of the doors 16, causing the latter to swing upwardly a vay from each other or toward the sides of the easing. as the refrigerator continues its upward movement, the upper faces of the doors being virtually 'parallel with the inner faces of the sideswhen the limit of such movement is reached. The said lugs 19 come in contact with the top of the casing and eoact therewith to arrest the ascent of the refrigerator and dispose it with the side door Q3 thereof directly opposite the door 21 of the casing. The doors 2l and may then be successively opened, thus affording access to the interior of the refrigerator. Then the refrigeator is to be returned to its normal position within the well-shaft, it is necessary only to release the dog from engagement with the ratchet wheel, whereupon the refrigerator will descend slowly of its own accord, the doors swinging inwardly toward each other, as the refrigerator leaves the interior of the casing, until their front ends rest upon the ribs 1G. Vhen the refrigerator has reached a certain point in its descent, the stop 1Q will be brought into contact with the floor, thus terminating the descent. The provision of the beveled guide board 20, and its disposition between the beveled cleats 21, will prevent swinging movement of the refrigerator during its movements, and will also cause the refrigerator to move directly into the interior of the casing during its ascent. In addition to the stop 12, a second or safety stop 2G may be employed for terminating the descent of the refrigerator, this second stop being secured to the lower end of the guide board, as shown.

Vhat is claimed is:--

The combination with a shaft and a casing located directly over the mouth thereof and having its lower end open and also having a cover, of a refrigerator, means to raise and lower the same through said open end of the casing into and out of the shaft, said casing having a side door and said refrigerator also having a side door on the same side as 'that of the casing, a pair of hatch doors hinged at their outer sides to opposite sides of the casing and located near the bottom thereof to close above the refrigerator when the latter is lowered and to open as the refrigerator ascends and enters the easing, and lugs on the upper side of the refrigerator for engaging the free ends of thc hinged doors to open the same as the refrigerator ascends in the easing and to come in contact with the top of the casing and coaet therewith to arresty the ascent of the refrigerator and dispose the side door thereof directly opposite that of the casing.

In testimony whereof, l affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE Q. HAMMELL.

litnesses EDNA E. DENNIS, Lann-x F. VILLERS. 

